Len Brown puts hat in ring for super city mayoralty

Len Brown at today's announcement on One Tree Hill. Photo / NZPA

Manukau mayor Len Brown today officially confirmed he will run for the mayoralty of the new Auckland super city council.

He made the announcement at One Tree Hill to a crowd of about 200 people, including ex-Auckland city mayor Dick Hubbard, councillors and South Auckland business people.

Brown spoke of his intentions to stand on TVNZ's Q&A programme this morning, although the Herald's Bernard Orsman broke news of the impending announcement on Thursday.

The only other contender to join the race is Auckland City mayor John Banks.

Brown said today he had decided to run because "the community has been on my back and determined that I should run".

He said the super city needed someone who could reach out to Auckland's diverse communities and felt he was best suited for that job.

"I feel in my heart I have the compassion, commitment and love of the place."

His platform would include designated council seats for Maori, future proofing the transport system, increasing tourism, bettering education in Auckland and "bringing communities together in a way that hasn't been done before".

And a former member of parliament believes Brown has every chance of being Auckland's first super city mayor.

Left-wing political commentator Matt McCarten says John Banks is getting damaged by his association with local government minister Rodney Hide.

McCarten says Len Brown should be optimistic about his chances of winning, with recent polling showing the two candidates are very close.

- NZPA, Newstalk ZB